Let's Hear from the Database Moderators

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Posted by @dave on
One of the biggest strengths of our plant database is that we have it sectioned off into "custom databases," each dedicated to a specific kind of plant, and that members can be given power to moderate every aspect of those areas. Come read what our moderators think about the database in this interesting multi-person interview!

We have an amazing team of Plants Admins ( @Calif_Sue, @eclayne, @KentPfeiffer, and @zuzu) who oversee the entire database. They are constantly busy behind the scenes, dedicated to curating the database, approving your proposals to submit data, checking information, adding new plants, keeping things accurate, and much, much more.

In addition, we have nearly 200 different custom databases devoted to most of the kinds of plants people grow. From Abelias to Yarrows, these databases are custom made for their plant type. The Tomatoes Database for example, has special fields for leaf type, and The Sempervivum Database has data fields for number of chicks. Many of these areas of the site have members who, like the admins, are in charge of their specific areas.

So, what do these admins and moderators have to say about the database? I Tree-Mailed each of them with some questions, and present their answers here for your enjoyment!

"What do you think most people know you as on the site? Or said another way, what areas of the site or which forums do you find yourself most drawn to?"


Calif_Sue said:I think most members know me for my love of photos, either taking them, importing them from threads or adding them to the database from other nurseries or online sites. Currently I am drawn to the iris forum, kind of my new plant love. That may change after bloom time, or as I run out of room. Green Grin!


Dutchlady1 said:I think most people know me as 'that crazy Plumeria-addicted woman'.


jmorth said:Bulbs, Gardening for Butterflies, Birds, and Bees, Our Pets in Sandbox (& other threads therein), Wildflowers, Perennials, Site Talk, and All Things Gardening.


KentPfeiffer said:An iris fanatic. Maybe also as someone who is very interested in wild plants that are native to North America.


MikeD said:Although I signed up in 2011, embarrassingly, I have not dedicated much time at ATP and so if folks here know me, it is from the seed preservation work that I do at the Victory Seed Company and from their experiences with me outside of ATP. That will change in 2015, as I have committed to helping do what I can to make ATP the premier gardening related community on the web.


pardalinum said:I am best known as a sempaholic and a lilyaholic. Go Semps! Go Lilies!


springcolor said:Love the heuchera forum but it gets kind of sleepy in the winter months. I hang out in the sempervivum forum most of the time but read the perennial forum as well.


valleylynn said:A lover of all things sempervivum and sedum. Also other hardy type succulent plants, some of which are very unusual and difficult to acquire. These plants give a gardener the opportunity to search out many other wonderful plants that will grow well with these succulents, such as other alpine plants, including bulbs of different kinds, dwarf shrubs/sub-shrubs, etc.


goldfinch4 said:I think most people know me associated with sempervivum. That's where I spend the majority of my time here, but I also visit sedums and garden art quite a bit.


"Being a moderator means that you have a lot of responsibilities in your section of the database. What's your favorite part about being a moderator?"


Calif_Sue said:My favorite part of being a moderator is seeing the newest images being submitted for the particular databases I moderate any and all of the other database categories as well. Often it's a big distraction for me as I often go to find additional info and sometimes end up adding plants to my wish list.


Dutchlady1 said:Seeing everyone's great pictures.


jmorth said:Adding new plants into DB, especially Daffodils, but other ones too. I also like it when I'm able to answer questions related to Daffodil queries.


KentPfeiffer said:Unfettered ability to add information to plant entries.


magnolialover said:My favorite part about being a moderator is making sure each part of the database I deal with is correct. Since many lilies come mislabeled, checking the database and verifying it with the lily register helps keep the records in our database accurate. Lilies photographed in gardens are my favorite because they show how height and color can vary in different parts of the world, depending on growing conditions, such as soil type and temperature, as well as overall agricultural zone.


pardalinum said:My favorite part is connecting with like-minded gardeners. Of course one doesn't have to be a moderator to do that. At times the connection may be through a tree mail regarding a database submission. This is where I get to know people a bit more.


springcolor said:My favorite part of being moderator is all the nice people and the pictures they post. The information we share too.


valleylynn said:Searching out information to add to each entry, seeing the wonderful photos submitted by our members and working with people around the world on verifying each entry.


goldfinch4 said:My favorite part about being a moderator is being able to see all the new pictures as they get submitted.


"Is there one (or two) things that you wish every member knew about the database?"


Calif_Sue said:How easy it is to add images, either directly from their computer or imported from a thread. I find so many beautiful shots in threads that I wish the member had just taken the extra couple of steps to quickly import them into the database directly from their post for everyone to enjoy. Also, how easy it is to add just a brief comment about a plant a member is growing. It adds so much of a personal touch to the database entry! I know I am lagging in that department.


Dutchlady1 said:How easy it is to add information (and that they don't need to be shy about it).


jmorth said:Depth and width of it.


KentPfeiffer said:Dave's willingness to customize and improve database fields for specific types of plants.


MikeD said:...as a database moderator noob, I haven't done anything or made any great contribution. But I would invite folks to check back from time to time and watch the progress. I have been raising tomatoes for all but about three years of my life (the first three Sticking tongue out ) and have been seriously working with preserving heirloom and rare old commercial releases (only OP varieties) for the past 20 years or so. Part of my work involves comparing what we are growing with the historical record. I hope to start sharing the histories and pedigrees of varieties, as well as their physical and cultural attributes.


pardalinum said:The structure of the database entries is largely derived from user input since the beginning of ATP. If you have suggestions for improvement or questions about data details or plant names they can be presented on the Plant Database forum here: https://garden.org/forums/view...


springcolor said:Don't hesitate to share your knowledge and pictures.


valleylynn said:That each person can be a contributor to the database, in research, photos and interesting facts that can be added to an entry by using the 'Comments' section.


goldfinch4 said:I think it would be nice if every member knew how the database search option works.


"What do you think is the most useful but least known about aspect of our database?"


Calif_Sue said:Speaking for the daylily database, I love how you can do a more advanced search for just certain attributes. For instance, often I use the 'Search by characteristics' function for plants just by one hybridizer.

I think my favorite database function is the ability to create your own personal inventory list of your plants. I initially started out by adding plants to one master list but that quickly grew quite large. I then created categories so I could have any given genus in one separate category for quick reference. I currently have a large 'Perennials' one that I am getting ready to branch off into additional categories again. It's also a great way to add your own personal notes like where and when the plant was purchased, where it's planted, when it bloomed, and also add notes like future trades promised.


Dutchlady1 said:That it indicates for which zones and conditions a plant is suited.


jmorth said:Same as #3. Depth and width of it.


KentPfeiffer said:"Search by characteristics" is an amazing tool, especially for those plants (irises, daylilies, roses, etc.) that have custom architecture and have received an extensive amount of effort. There are other plant databases on the internet with advance search type options, but none of them come even close to matching the functionality of the ATP database.


pardalinum said:Some plants in commerce are sold under more than one name. When a search is done under any of these names, the entry will come up. An example is Lilium 'Patricia's Pride' which has also been sold under the name 'Purple Reign'.


valleylynn said:The long hours put in by our admin. team, keeping up with all the scientific name changes. It is a difficult task, and I am very thankful to them. I also love that they still have the old name in the entry, so if you do a search under the old name it will still come up in a search. Amazing work, admins. Thumbs up


zuzu said:Many members may not be aware of something I regard as one of the most useful features of our database: the ability to search for plants by characteristics and to limit the results to the plants in personal plant lists. When I was planning to create a moon garden, for instance, I could search for white blooms only among the plants I already own. The option of moving existing plants into the space designated for the moon garden was relatively inexpensive and convenient.


"Anything else you want to say?"


Dutchlady1 said:I think the database deserves more prominence on the front page of ATP!


jmorth said:Proud to be part of it!


MikeD said:Although there are other tomato variety databases on the web, and right now, the tomato database at ATP is basically a skeleton, with the help of others, I hope to get it fleshed out into "the" internet tomato variety database!


pardalinum said:I have really enjoyed watching ATP grow from the very beginning, both the forums and the database. Our “Lily Group” is a great bunch!


springcolor said:Share your pictures and experience with your plants. Don't be shy. I know there are lots of lurkers out there because I use to be one of them! Hilarious!


valleylynn said:It is such an honor and privilege to be part of All Things Plants, and I cherish each friendship that has been created through this site.


Thank you to all the admins and moderators for what you have done, and continue to do, for the benefit of us all. As the programmer of the site, I want to add that you are the finest group of people I've ever worked with. Your ideas, thoughtful discussions, requests for changes to the site, and more, make my work so easy, and I appreciate the time you all spend making ATP what it is. The information in the database is used by thousands of people every day and it is what it is primarily because of all of you. Thank you!

 
Comments and Discussion
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Another question for the moderators, if I may by pirl Feb 18, 2015 10:29 AM 11
Ten Thumbs Up!!! by vic Feb 7, 2015 6:20 AM 6
Its good hearing from the moderators! by DavidofDeLand Feb 5, 2015 7:29 AM 3

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